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Soliciting Multiversity: Image’s Top 10 For June 2015

By | March 25th, 2015
Posted in Columns | 8 Comments

Welcome back to Soliciting Multiversity where we look at our top 10 picks from Image Comics’ solicitations for June 2015. It pretty much explains the entire point of the article in the title. This month has one of the most dense solicitations I’ve ever seen put out from Image, so before we get to the actual Top 10, it’s first time for…

Super Special Shoutout Time

  • “IXth Generation” #5, “East Of West” #20, “Elephantmen” #65, “The Humans” #5, “Low” #7, “Rasputin” #6, “Revival” #30, “Savage Dragon” #206 and “Southern Bastards” #9 are all issues solicited as the start of a new story arc. There’s some great stuff in there to jump in on if you haven’t already.
  • “The Autumnlands: Tooth & Claw”, “Drifter”, “Reyn”, “Postal” and “Rumble” are all getting first volume trade paperbacks for Image’s introductory price of $9.99.
  • “Alex + Ada”, “Big Man Plans” and “Chrononauts” are all getting a series conclusion. Sad face.
  • “Satellite Sam” #15 ends the ‘first’ “Satellite Sam” story and I don’t know what that means, but I hope it means we get more “Satellite Sam” eventually.
  • “The Fade Out” #8 ends the current story arc and the series will return in September.
  • “Bitch Planet” #6 will feature guest pencils by Taki Soma, which makes me wonder if the series will have a guest penciller every third issue?

Okay, that’s all the interesting stuff that I couldn’t quite fit into the Top 10 out of the way, so let’s get to the Top 10 proper.

10. You Get A 100th Issue! And You Get A 100th Issue! And… YOU Get A 100th Issue!

Now, I haven’t “Skullkickers” yet, but last I heard it hadn’t even hit the 50 issue mark, nevermind closing on 100. Oh, what’s that? They’re just screwing with people because Marvel and DC like to change the numbers of their comics whenever? Well, I should have seen that coming, seeing as these are the people who renamed their series every issue for a stretch just to make fun of Marvel’s liberal use of adjectives to differentiate titles.

Like I said, I haven’t read any “Skullkickers” despite hearing it’s pretty good, but that part of the solicit about tweeting what you think happened between the last issue and this one? That’s pretty fun. That could provide us all with a few laughs. Oh, wait, no, it’s twitter, it’s probably going to be guys harassing women for having opinions. Nevermind.

SKULLKICKERS #100
story: JIM ZUB
art: EDWIN HUANG & MISTY COATS
cover: CHRIS STEVENS & ESPEN GRUNDETJERN

JUNE 24 / 40 PAGES / FC / T / $3.99

“INFINITE ICONS OF THE ENDLESS EPIC,” Finale

ISSUE 100?!!
Hey, if other publishers can just slap any old number on a cover and call it an anniversary, then we want in on that action for our final issue.

Yup, this is the big finish. All skulls must be kicked.

Join us in sending off the series in style with a big three-digit number and tweet with the hashtag #SK100 to let us know what happened in the 66 issues in-between. The best entries get a place in SKULLKICKERS history.

9. Love In The Time Of Crime

This is… a weird one. Look, I like “Sex Criminals” a lot. I know it’s not for everything, both in terms of the sense of humour or just the quality of storytelling, but in the nine issues of it’s run so far, I’ve had a lot of fun with. This, though, this is pretty weird to me. A polybagged cover is not something new for comics, but a cover that’s polybagged because it’s sporting explicit cover art by Bryan Lee O’Malley? That’s pretty different. Seeing as I’m someone who owns a sealed polybagged issue of “Age Of Ultron” #10 for… some reason, I don’t know, let’s get into that, I might end up picking this up even if just to see what an explicit cover by the guy that drew “Seconds” looks like.

Or I’ll just wait until people with more disposable income than me buy it and post the cover online…

SEX CRIMINALS #11 BRYAN LEE O’MALLEY XXX VARIANT
story: MATT FRACTION
art: CHEP DURKDURK
cover: BRYAN LEE O’MALLEY

JUNE 24 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $4.69

The same comic as SEX CRIMINALS #11 only with the first of five XXX variant covers shipped in a solid polybag so it cannot be seen until opened. Ever want to see Scott Pilgrim’s business? What about the bing-bong? What if you could see his floober, too? WHO KNOWS WHAT “MAL” WILL ‘DRAW!!!’
ONE PRINT RUN ONLY.

Continued below

8. The Return Four Years In The Making

This is going to be the Soliciting Multiversity where I talk about issues where I wish I knew more about them because they seem pretty cool. All I know about “Nonplayer” is the fact that the first issue was amazing and that the second issue is later than issue 11 of “All-Star Batman & Robin: The Boy Wonder”. However, issue 2 has a mecha that looks a little like ED-209 on the cover and the solicit text mentions “a homicidal robot armed only with seafood”. With a third printing of the first issue of “Nonplayer” being issues before the printing of this issue, this looks like one I’ll probably check out and hope there’s less of a gap between #2 and #3.

NONPLAYER #2
story / art / cover: NATE SIMPSON

JUNE 3 / 32 PAGES / FC / T / $2.99

THE SOLD-OUT SERIES RETURNS with a much-anticipated new chapter!
Bent on avenging the death of his queen, game character King Heremoth seeks vengeance against Dana, an unwitting tamale delivery girl. Meanwhile, strange things are afoot in future Los Angeles as a police standoff at a fish market reveals a homicidal robot armed only with seafood. Artist/writer NATE SIMPSON outdoes his beautiful and multi-layered debut with an even more ambitious feat of world-building!

7. The Black Sheep Of The Solicitation

This one, I got nothing for. There are times, few and far between, where Image seems to take a break from continually pushing the boundaries of what they can offer as a comic book publisher and instead decide to do something that makes me have flashbacks to NSync and flannel shirts. So, uh… Rob Liefeld is writing an “untold Bible story.” There are so many jokes here that I can barely contain myself. Mostly, though, I’m just remembering that time I tried to read Rob Liefeld’s “Hawk And Dove” run and now I want to cry. This looks hilarious. I got nothing else. Rob Liefeld Bible story goddammit this is hilarious.

THE COVENANT
story: ROB LIEFELD
art: MATT HORAK
covers A / B: ROB LIEFELD

JUNE 3 / 32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $3.99

In ancient times there was no weapon more devastating than The Ark of The Covenant, containing a power that collapsed enemy nations and destroyed hostile invaders. The Philistine army, led by General Thane, seeks to crush the Israelites as they populate the surrounding territories. A bold move on the field of battle robs the Israelites of their mythical weapon, empowering their most deadly enemy. A young priest, Samuel, determines to steal back the Ark and assembled a group of mercenaries to aid him in the most daring raid in history. An untold tale of the Bible that shifted the balance of power in history.

6. These Astronauts May Be In Trouble, But… Does God Hate Them?

This is one I had to do a little bit of research on. Turns out, “Astronauts In Trouble” is an older series publushed by AiT/Planet Lar from 1999/2000. I hadn’t even discovered Spider-Man at that point so this is a comic I knew nothing about. Still, it seems like Image is reprinting the original run of the series in chronological order. I think? Information about this one is pretty sparse, but it does seem neat, so if anyone can shed some light on this one, it would be much appreciated. Still, it’s a good place to check out Charlie Ardlard’s artwork without having to read hundreds of issues of “The Walking Dead”.

ASTRONAUTS IN TROUBLE #1
story: LARRY YOUNG
art / cover: CHARLIE ADLARD

JUNE 10 / 32 PAGES / BW / E / $2.99

The series that brought THE WALKING DEAD artist CHARLIE ADLARD to the attention of ROBERT KIRKMAN has a new home at Image Comics!

In 1959, the Channel 7 News team covers a routine homicide that leads them to a mysterious rocket base in Peru filled with Russian spies. All in a day’s work for the most trusted newsmen in America. They couldn’t know their day’d end up with a hot pilot, a fast ship, cheap beer, and spacesuits!

Continued below

5. Wow, Those Iron Chef Competitions Went Hard

You ever see the description of a story and think to yourself “Wow, I would never have come up with that in a million years?” Well, I’m having that with “Starve”. This isn’t really a series where the creative team gripped me as I’m not the world’s biggest Brian Wood fan by any stretch and I don’t think I’ve encountered Danijel Zezelj’s art before, but the idea behind this title has me interested. “An arena sport that pits chef against chef.” I have no idea how that would even work. Is it like Ready, Steady, Cook as set in the Thunderdome? Is that a reference Americans will even get? I don’t know! But this looks like it could certainly be one of the more inventive series we see come out of Image.

STARVE #1
story: BRIAN WOOD
art / cover: DANIJEL ZEZELJ & DAVE STEWART

JUNE 10 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.50

UTENSILS DOWN, HANDS UP! WELCOME TO STARVE!

Once the world’s most famous chef, Gavin Cruikshank’s been in a self-imposed exile for years. His little foodie television program has since evolved into STARVE, an arena sport that pits chef against chef for the pleasure of their super-rich patrons. It’s a stain on a once-noble profession, and Chef Gavin is ready to go to war to stop it. Two things stand in his way: his arch rival Roman Algiers, and his adult daughter Angie, who probably just wants her dad back and acting normal.

Whipsmart world-building and a creative dream team (DMZ, The Massive, Star Wars, Loveless, Hellboy, The Sandman) come together for a brand new monthly series!

4. Must… Resist Urge… To Make Seinfeld Joke…

A cursory google of Jason Shawn Alexander’s artwork has actually sold me on this title way more than the solicit did. The harsh painted style he employs in his artwork that captures a dreamlike, almost melting graffiti feel really captured my imagination and reminded me a lot of Dave McKean, an artist I love. I have no idea what “Empty Zone” is going to be like, but teaming that artwork with a sci-fi/horror story sounds like it could be neat. This is definitely one I’ll be keeping an eye on.

EMPTY ZONE #1
story / art / cover: JASON SHAWN ALEXANDER

JUNE 17 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.50

JASON SHAWN ALEXANDER of “CONVERSATIONS WITH THE DEAD” returns with an ALL-NEW SERIES! In this sci-fi/horror saga, Corinne White attempts to reconcile with the ghosts of her violent past, literally, as she trudges through a world of dystopian cityscapes, reanimated corpses, & ganglands full of animal human hybrids.

3. Paging Mr. Kaufman… Paging Mr. Kaufman…

So, I love the film Adaptation. I also love anything that seems like a riff on that base idea of having a story be the story of the telling of that story. I loved it when “Theremin” #4 did it and it definitely looks like I’ll love it when “Airboy” does it. I only really know James Robinson from his current “Fantastic Four” and it doesn’t seem like I’ve encountered Greg Hinkle’s art before and I certainly don’t know anything about “Airboy”, so checking the out would mean jumping in clean, but the idea presented in the solicitation sounds like a fresh way of reviving a mostly forgotten Golden Age comic book character.

This seems like it could be a fun one.

AIRBOY #1 (OF 4)
story: JAMES ROBINSON
art / cover: GREG HINKLE

JUNE 3 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $2.99

Worlds and minds explode in a brand-new series!

When acclaimed comics author JAMES ROBINSON (Starman, Fantastic Four) is hired to write a reboot of the 1940s action hero Airboy, he’s reluctant to do yet another Golden Age reboot. Just what the hell has happened to his career–?! His marriage?! His life?! Hey, it’s nothing that a drink can’t fix.

It’s after one such night of debauchery with artist GREG HINKLE that the project really comes into its own. Quite literally. Because Airboy himself appears to set the two depraved comic book creators on the straight and narrow.

But is the task too much for our hero?

Continued below

2. Guys… Genderqueer Knights, Though. C’mon.

So, one of the things I don’t think I’ve made any kind of deal about in my writing at Multiversity is the fact that I’m transgender. Not that it’s something I make a “deal” of regularly, but y’know, it has a habit of informing how I read, specifically when it comes to representation. I don’t know if you know this, but comics don’t have a lot of transgender or non-binary (people whose gender falls outside of the categories of male or female) characters. There are a few, but when you can count them all on one hand, it’s pretty uneven, right?

Which is why I was 100% sold on “8House: Arclight” #1 not just because of the sweet, sweet title, but mostly because the solicitation included the words “genderqueer knight”. Now, I haven’t read anything by Brandon Graham (except his callout tweets) or Marian Churchland, but seeing as how “Trees” became my new favourite series when it had half an issue dedicated to a conversation about a trans character, I will definitely be checking this out.

8HOUSE: ARCLIGHT #1
story: BRANDON GRAHAM
art / cover: MARIAN CHURCHLAND

JUNE 24 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $2.99

A lady of the blood house has had her mind trapped in a strange alien root-body. She’s hiding on the outskirts of her kingdom until she learns that the alien monster pretending to be her has returned.

The first issue of a shared fantasy universe. Sharp genderqueer knights, blood magic, music, dancing, and a goose.

1. The End Of My First Great Comic Love

I think one of the things about reading creators owned comics for me, sometimes, is that feeling when you try and second guess the longevity of a story. Maybe it’s not so much a thing now when publishers like Image are more supportive of letting creators tell their stories and creating a satisfying ending than letting it run for too long and risk the loss of momentum. Still, there’s always that moment when I wonder just how far away the final issue of a series is and, as it turns out, in the case of “ZERO”, it’s not that far at all.

“ZERO” is a comic I love. It wasn’t my first Ales Kot comic and it certainly won’t be my last, but from the idea of having a different visual artist every issue and having the feel of the comic’s visual style come from Jordie Bellaire’s colours to the time-hopping, superspy narrative of Edward Zero, I was on from day one. Now, we’re counting the days until the final issue of the series hits with the every amazing Tula Lotay providing the art for the finale. Here’s hoping it’s a good one.

#ZERO #18
story: ALES KOT
art: TULA LOTAY & JORDIE BELLAIRE
cover A: TULA LOTAY & TOM MULLER
cover B: TOM MULLER

JUNE 24 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $2.99

SERIES CONCLUSION
Surrender.

As always, be sure to head over to Image Comics’ website for the full solicitations for June 2015. There’s some neat stuff in there that I just didn’t have room to cover here.


//TAGS | Soliciting Multiversity

Alice W. Castle

Sworn to protect a world that hates and fears her, Alice W. Castle is a trans femme writing about comics. All things considered, it’s going surprisingly well. Ask her about the unproduced Superman films of 1990 - 2006. She can be found on various corners of the internet, but most frequently on Twitter: @alicewcastle

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